new year resolutions


Happy new year, friends! I hope your holidays were merry and bright. I know that I have neglected this blog during the final months of last year, but it's for a good reason, I promise! I'll fill you in soon with everything that was missed -- a few days hikes, and a trip to Santa Catalina Island for my birthday! 

2016 is going to be a big year for this branch of the Large family as Nate and I await the arrival of our first baby in June! We are over-the-moon-excited! 

With this year holding some big changes for us, I've put great thought into my resolutions. This past October I started working full-time again. Now, combine that with being pregnant and I feel like I haven't done anything but work and sleep since. Now that I've entered my second trimester I have a renewed energy and I am ready to be productive again! So, with the coming of a baby in mind, I've decided that this set of resolutions should center mainly on my personal growth in mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual capacities.

MENTAL
Last year I made the goal to read one book a month. I got a library card for my local library and Nate and I visited it frequently. I didn't quite reach my goal but I came pretty close and I enjoyed it. This year I've determined it necessary to spend one hour each day (outside of work) away from my phone and away from the internet in general. I know an hour doesn't seem like a large amount of time but I'm the type of person who pauses in the middle of doing something for a quick check on my phone and before I know it, three hours have gone by and I have accomplished nothing.

PHYSICAL
Because of my two previous miscarriages, I have been really cautious this pregnancy about putting any strain on my body through physical activity. I've now reached a point where I'm more confident that this baby is here for the long haul and I'm ready to get moving! You still won't find me in any Crossfit gyms, but you may find me on the beach. Last week Nate went for a few runs along the coast and he seemed to enjoy them. I think I'll follow his example and mix up my usual neighborhood walks with some longer ones on the beach or through Palos Verdes. My goal is to be physically active at least four times a week. How I go about doing that may vary depending on how I'm feeling that day, but what I have in mind are mostly walks with some smaller exercises mixed in to strengthen other parts of my body.

EMOTIONAL
There are two points in this category that I would like to focus on. 1) spend more time growing my talents and participating in things that make me happy, such as my art. It's difficult for me to set aside the time to do  ay art because I'm such a perfectionist and I don't like starting something if I think that it might not be great. But that's the whole point of practice, right? I know that I'll feel better once I get started; creating art has always been a healing practice for me. 2) become more emotionally open and honest with my husband. I'm not sure if my resistance against sharing my feelings stems from the death of my brother or if it came before that, but it has caused an issue in the relationship between myself and Nate on more than one occasion. I love when he is open with me but I rarely reciprocate, and that is something that I need to change.

SPIRITUAL
My faith took a hit on a few different occasions last year and I feel like it's time to get back to the basics of daily prayer and scripture study. Because my work schedule is so fluid it's hard for me to set a specific time aside to do these things each day. I can't say that I'll read every morning because some days I work at 4:00 AM, and then other days I work until 11:00 PM so I can't decidedly settle on evenings, either. So the trick is getting into a habit of remembering to do these, the most important things, before I do anything else, be it morning, afternoon, or night. I have faith that if I put the Lord first, everything else will fall into place. Therefore, my spiritual goal is to finish reading the Book of Mormon by June and to read the Old Testament by the end of the year.

There you have it, my resolutions for 2016! My main goal for this year, and for life, is to become the best version of myself. As I strengthen this self I believe that I will become happier, my marriage will strengthen, and I will be prepared to mother this child and all others who might follow. My greatest desire is to be a source of strength and inspiration to my family. I know that isn't something I can accomplish and be done with in just one year, though. Instead, it is the journey of a lifetime. Wish me luck! 

Comments

  1. AHHH!! Congratulations!!!!! What a happy announcement!!

    And good luck with all the goals ahead!! Something I've found helpful, is not necessarily making a time, but making scriptures happen before something else. For me scripture reading happens before opening my email, or Facebook, or whatever else. It allows for the flexibility of whenever I find a spare minute on a particular day, and I'm at the point where I can't do anything else without it being a reminder to read. Maybe that would help.

    Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS again!!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Melissa! We're so so so happy. And it's been fun being pregnant at the same time as Robin!
      Your advice has been super helpful -- I've been using it a lot this week. So, thanks for that, too :]

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